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Function
Of The Rebbe: To Remove Obscurity
By Rabbi Levi Yitzchok
Ginsberg
Coming
from Chag HaShavuos, the day Hashem chose each member of the
Jewish people, I’d like to share a story that was told by the mashpia
Reb Mordechai Kozliner. It illustrates the essential quality of
even the most outwardly assimilated Jew, and demonstrates the Nasi’s
ability to reveal the person’s inner essence:
Some
time after the Rebbe Rayatz arrived in the United States, he sent
the late Reb Shmuel Levitin to Chicago on a special mission: to
locate a Jewish man by the name of Lisner. Mr. Lisner was
descended from Chassidim, and his last name had actually been
Anglicized from Liozhner. Reb Shmuel was to tell him all about his
illustrious Chassidic ancestors and attempt to return him to the
path of Torah and mitzvos.
The
mission was successful, and Mr. Lisner later served on the board
of Yeshiva Achei-Tmimim of Chicago. He also merited to receive a
special letter from the Rebbe Rayatz (printed in Volume 8 of the
Rebbe Rayatz’s Igros Kodesh) in which the Rebbe revealed
many interesting facts about his family. What follows are excerpts
of that letter, in free translation:
“Surely
your late father, my esteemed friend and Chassid, has told you all
the details of your illustrious family and how their name came to
be Liozhner,” the Rebbe Rayatz wrote. “Your grandfather, Reb
Mendel Yitzchak, was born in the city of Staradov, in the district
of Tshernigov, and studied in the yeshiva of my
grandfather, the Tzemach Tzedek, in Lubavitch. At the Tzemach
Tzedek’s directive he learned sh’chita from Reb Tzvi
Hirsh, after which the Tzemach Tzedek appointed him head shochet
of the city of Vitebsk, and blessed him with long life and
success. Your grandfather was a shochet for 58 years, and
not once was an animal declared treif because of a mistake
in the way it was slaughtered.
“Reb
Mendel Yitzchak told me that his grandfather, Reb Yechezkel of
Staradov, was a Chassid of the Alter Rebbe. Reb Mendel Yitzchak
made a pilgrimage to the Rebbe in Liozhna every two years by foot.
When the law was passed requiring every family to adopt a surname,
he chose Liozhnov, after the Alter Rebbe’s hometown.
“Reb
Mendel also told me the following: When the news reached Staradov
that the Alter Rebbe had been arrested and taken away in the
notorious black carriage (which was reserved for capital
offenses), Reb Yechezkel gathered all the Chassidim together and
announced that he was accepting upon himself all of the Rebbe’s
suffering, up to and including death. For three consecutive days
and nights he fasted, and on the afternoon of the third day he davened
an early Mincha. Reb Yechezkel then told the Chassidim that
he would pass away within a few hours, as his prayer to be a
substitute for the Alter Rebbe had been accepted, and ordered them
to bring a little mashkeh with which to say a l’chaim.
‘I have no desire to enter the World to Come a tzidkaschadiker
[under false pretenses; i.e., directly from fasting, as if I were
a tzadik].’ He also made them swear that when the news
came that the Alter Rebbe had been released, they would go to his
grave with mashkeh, say l’chaim and dance. Reb
Yechezkel then recited the Vidui and expired.
“That
Tuesday, the 19th of Kislev, when the elder Chassidim who were Reb
Yechezkel’s contemporaries arrived in shul for Tikkun
Chatzos, they looked at one another expectantly, each one
waiting for someone else to state what they all already knew: That
night, Reb Yechezkel had appeared to each of them in a dream, and
revealed that the Alter Rebbe would be liberated from prison that
very day, in a major victory for Chassidus. Reb Yechezkel had
known this because the Mezritcher Maggid, whose yahrtzeit
was the 19th of Kislev, had revealed it to him exactly at
midnight. Reb Yechezkel then reminded the Chassidim of their vow
and urged them to fulfill it.
[Author’s
note: The above story appears elsewhere in greater detail: That
Tuesday after Mincha, the Baal Shem Tov came to the
Maggid’s heichal in Gan Eden accompanied by several of
his disciples and thousands of other souls. The Maggid delivered a
teaching on the pasuk, “Pada v’shalom nafshi –
You have redeemed my soul in peace,” and explained that it
refers to the soul of Dovid HaMelech. Moshe and Dovid are chochma
and malchus; the “extension of Moshe in every
generation” connects souls to G-dliness through the Torah; and
the function of the level of Dovid is to wage an “obligatory
war” to bring souls closer to the service of the Creator.]
“Your
grandfather, the Chassid Reb Mendel Yitzchak of blessed memory,
was one of the biggest devotees to Chabad Chassidus, and visited
Lubavitch twice a year, on Shavuos and Yud-Tes Kislev. It gave me
immense pleasure to hear from my son-in-law, the Rashag shlita,
about your involvement in the founding of Yeshiva Achei-Tmimim
Lubavitch, your fundraising on behalf of Tomchei-Tmimim Lubavitch
and the organizing of Agudas Chabad, and that you have accepted
the position of chairman of the board of Yeshiva Achei-Tmimim of
Chicago. I hereby bestow my blessing of mazal tov upon
you…”
*
* *
How
did Reb Shmuel actually influence Mr. Lisner? Arriving in Chicago,
he met (yibadeil l’chaim aruchim) Rabbi Yosef Wineberg
(author of Lessons in Tanya), and together they approached
a local rabbi to try to find the mysterious Mr. Lisner. They
learned that not only did Mr. Lisner never attend shul, but
his store was kept open on Shabbos. In fact, his entire way of
life was extremely removed from traditional observance.
After
much searching they succeeded in finding him, and together, the
three rabbis met him. Mr. Lisner received them warmly and listened
attentively to their stories. He was very interested in every
detail and was emotionally affected by the encounter.
When
they finished their recital, Mr. Lisner took out his checkbook and
asked them how much they wanted, adding that he would give them
whatever amount they specified. He had mistakenly assumed that the
point of the visit was to solicit money, which he declared himself
ready and willing to contribute.
The
Chassidim explained that they had not come for money, but had been
sent by the Rebbe Rayatz to reconnect him to Yiddishkeit
and Chassidus.
The
local rabbi then explained that Yisroel stands for “yeish
shishim ribo osiyos la’Torah” – there are six hundred
thousand letters in the Torah, corresponding to the souls of every
single Jew, and from which their G-dly life-force is derived. The
letters of some Jews may appear to be almost completely erased,
and their connection to Torah almost invisible, but the
Lubavitcher Rebbe is the master scribe who can correct the flaw
and reestablish their connection with G-dliness.
The
visit left a tremendous impression on Mr. Lisner, who slowly but
surely made his way back to Yiddishkeit.
Reb
Shmuel Levitin returned to New York and gave the Rebbe Rayatz a
full report. Among other things, he repeated the Chicago rabbi’s
explanation of the six hundred thousand letters of the Torah, and
how he had characterized the Rebbe as the master scribe.
Reb
Shmuel expected the Rebbe Rayatz to react with a smile, but to his
surprise, the Rebbe was clearly displeased. The Rebbe explained
that the rabbi from Chicago was mistaken. There is no such thing
as a Jew whose letter in the collective “seifer Torah”
could ever be erased, for these letters are “osiyos
he’chakika” – engraved, rather than written with ink. In
the same way that it is impossible to erase an engraving without
damaging the stone, it is impossible to sever the Jew’s
essential and eternal connection to Torah and to Hashem, or even
to cause the slightest damage. A Jew is connected to G-d by simple
virtue of his being; the concept of erasure or separation
doesn’t apply.
In
truth, the essence of every Jew, regardless of who he is, is his
G-dly soul, “a veritable part of G-d Above.” His physical body
has also been chosen by G-d, which is derived from the Divine
will. The Jew is, therefore, on the very innermost level,
completely bound to G-d and His Torah with every fiber of his
being. Outward appearances are completely irrelevant; one must
never look at externals. Every Jew’s heart is completely whole
when it comes to Hashem.
The
only problem with a Jew’s “letters,” as it were, is the
possibility of their becoming covered with “dust.” But when
the dust is cleared away, the Jew’s essential relationship with
G-d is revealed in all its glory. Indeed, this is the function of
the Rebbe: to remove the dust and grime that obscures the Jew’s
true being, and to uncover and strengthen his eternal bond with
Hashem and His Torah.
The
message is clear: Whenever one encounters a Jew who is
antagonistic to Torah, one must always remember that his
opposition is only chitzoniyus – emanating from his most
superficial layer. Inside, that Jew is just as permanently
connected to G-d as anyone else, and his particular trials and
tribulations are only a potential means of strengthening that
bond.
*
* *
The
Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach derived a spiritual lesson from the
principles of modern aerodynamics. Within the earth’s
atmosphere, the principle of artificial flight is not based on
building aircraft from materials that are lighter than air (with
the exception of blimps or dirigibles, which are filled with
helium or other gases.) Rather, the air itself is used to propel
the aircraft upward and forward.
This
principle applies to spiritual matters. Opposition to G-dliness
only exists as a means of ascent. The stronger the opposition, the
higher the elevation will ultimately be.
We
have to remember this principle in our own situation.
Unfortunately, it seems that many of us have gotten used to our
present state of affairs. Moshiach and Geula have
been relegated to the back burner, and no longer have the same
sense of immediacy they once did. We have become complacent, and
think that the current situation in which we cannot see the Rebbe
is normal. We may even think that it can continue, G-d forbid.
But
fortunately, whatever opposition exists (and it is only external)
has forced the topic into the public eye, for the sole purpose
that we conduct a true cheshbon ha’nefesh: What have we
done, and what are we doing to hasten the Rebbe’s revelation? In
short, every one of us must resolve to do more to make the final
Redemption a reality.
In
the famous sicha of Shabbos Parshas Chayei Sarah
5752 in which the Rebbe spoke about “the only shlichus
that remains” — i.e., to prepare the world for the Redemption
and greet Moshiach Tzidkeinu — the Rebbe explicitly told us how
to do this: We are to explain the concepts of Moshiach and Geula,
as they are elucidated in the Torah, to the residents of whatever
city we live in, in a manner appropriate to each individual
intellect. The Rebbe stressed that this obligation is incumbent
upon each and every person without exception.
To
that end, a new Hebrew-language publication has just been launched
entitled “HaGeula, M’anyein Ve’achshavi,”
which roughly translates into “The Redemption, Compelling and
Contemporary.” This weekly brochure, which made its debut at the
recent kinus of Agudas Chassidei Chabad in
Eretz Yisroel, is being printed under the auspices of the Chabad
World Center to Greet Moshiach, which also publishes Beis
Moshiach. Copies are available from Matteh Moshiach at
(03) 960-7922.
As
the Rebbe MH”M said, learning about Moshiach “is the most
direct, the easiest and the fastest of all the Torah’s ways to
bring about the revelation and coming of Moshiach.” May it
happen immediately.
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